Red Sign
by kissun13
Summary: Supernatural happenings are going on with Tyler. On hiatus for now. Gomen!
1. Phase 1

Ever since I watched Disney Channel's new show "Dog with a Blog", I got a little obsessed with Tyler (Blake Michael)...because he's so damn CUTE! So that's kinda one of my habits...I always make up wild fantasies about cute boys. I got no regrets~! btw, I think this story would've fit more with "Wizards of Waverly Place" or something...but whatever. I'm also not a very great writer, so sorry if the story seems choppy. If you have any ideas for the story, feel free to share in the reviews!

* * *

The dog noticed that something has changed about Tyler. He used to be a charismatic, happy-go-lucky teen whenever he was around… now, that same boy was replaced by a silent and moody type. Even though it was going on for the past four days, the other family members didn't see that yet. They were all too busy with their jobs and activities to regard even the slightest thing that went wrong with Tyler's behavior. He'd always avoid eye contact at everyone, including Stan. He didn't even bring any of his girlfriends home as often as he did in the past.  
Only Stan can recognize the change in him.  
"Hey buddy. What's up?" the dog asked, as he jumped onto a couch opposite Tyler.  
Tyler was busy checking his texts on his Blackberry. "Nothing," was all he could reply.  
His tone was enough for Stan to understand what he was trying to say; "I don't want to talk to you right now."  
Stan gazed at him for a while before he jumped down from the couch and went upstairs to Avery's room._ Tyler must be having a bad day or something_, he thought. He found Avery sitting on her bed talking to her friend over the phone, then walked up to her and sat at her feet. As she scratched behind his ear, he thought again,_ Maybe he'll get over it. I kinda miss playing with him though._

Later that night, Tyler was heading out the door. "Mom, I'm gonna go help my friend finish his biology project. I'll be back at about 8:30."  
"Well you better not be sneaking into some party," his stepmom said.  
"Of course not, Mom," he answered.  
"Okay, come back at 8:30 like you promised."  
" 'Kay." Then the door closed shut behind him. The car's engine can be heard from outside as Tyler pulled out from the driveway and onto the street.

8:49 pm  
The door creaked open when Tyler came back home. His stepmom turned to him and scolded, "Tyler, you said you'd be back at 8:30."  
"At least I came back didn't I?" he said, almost a little too rudely.  
"Well if you don't want me to think you're actually sneaking to a party, come home on time from now on."  
"Fine…" he sighed. Tyler trudged upstairs to his room, closed his door, and stayed there for the rest of the night.  
At that moment, Stan noticed another thing when Tyler walked into the living room. He smelled of something weird, like…..incense. And every day since then, that scent began to grow stronger. The incense smell was already enough to keep Stan away, but the others didn't react, even when they were really close to him. The only other person in the family who did react to the scent was Chloe.  
One day, as she was sitting beside Tyler during dinner, she sniffed the air a little before her face scrunched up and covered her nose with her hand. "Tyler, you smelled funny," she said, pointing at her older brother.  
"Really?" Avery asked. Then she leaned in to sniff at Tyler. "I don't smell anything."  
"I just took a shower, how can I still smell?" he demanded.  
"But you do," Chloe insisted. "You smelled really weird. Not stinky, but weird."  
Their parents looked at each other and shrugged. "I don't know, sweetie," Dad said. "If it bothers you that much, then switch places with Avery."  
Stan glanced up from eating his bowl of kibble, looking confused._ How can you not smell that? It's really strong, but you still can't sense it?!_  
He turned his back toward the family while he was finishing his meal, and at the same time, trying not to deal with that bothering scent.

7:31 am  
"Where is it? Where is it?" Avery muttered worriedly. It was almost time to leave for school, but she was desperately looking for her history homework she must have misplaced. She searched high and low until she got to the coffee table. Peering under it, she spotted the papers stacked neatly on top of each other with her homework on top of it. However, she also spotted the bottom right corner of the page was wet with drool and little torn.  
"How did that get there?" the blonde girl wondered, "I'm obviously gonna have to talk to Stan about chewing on my homework."  
But as she bended over to fetch her papers, her left heel accidently kicked Tyler's backpack behind her. Avery spun around and saw that the backpack was unzipped with a few contents spilled out. She left her homework on top of the coffee table as she tried to pick the items back into the bag.  
Avery paused.  
What she held in her hands right now was an old worn book with a title engraved _Exorcizati_ _Purificacionis_ with a cross underneath, and a cute white plush bunny. She closely examined the book's title and could soon make out the words "exorcism" and "purification"._ But what's Tyler doing with a toy bunny?_  
Suddenly, Avery heard soft footsteps coming down the stairs. Her heart instantly raced as she quickly shoved both items into the backpack, just in time before Tyler set foot on the last set of stairs.  
She grabbed her history homework along with her backpack, and exited out of the house without saying a word. The book title still buzzed at the back of her head, and a few questions were formed:_ Why does Tyler want anything to do in that sort of thing? Is it for a research project? Or is he trying out as an actual exorcist?_  
Avery shook her head on that thought._ Of course not, stupid! He's way too lazy and clumsy to do something like that!_  
And so she never thought about it again for several days.

4:27 pm  
Stan was busy playing with his squeaky toy, laughing and running around in the park. It was supposed to be Tyler's turn to let Stan out for some fresh air, according to the family rules. With the squeaky toy clutched in his mouth, Stan ran toward Tyler.  
"Tyler! C'mon, let's play fetch!" the dog called to him.  
Tyler's back was faced to Stan, but he wouldn't respond. He was standing in front of the park's big fountain, staring intently over the greenish-blue water.  
"Tyler! C'mon! Play with me!" Stan pleaded, adding a small whimper.  
"Not now, Stan," the teen said.  
"Aww…please? You haven't played with me for long time!" Stan continued to beg.  
"Soon. Just wait a minute."  
The dog couldn't help but pouted then rested his head on the edge of the fountain. Tyler still had the smell of incense on him, although not as strong as before. Stan made sure to keep a respectable distance away from him.  
"Yeah, right. Since when do you ever become such a boring person?" he mumbled.

"...….._Aaaaaaaagh!_ ~"

Stan's ears immediately pricked up. It sounded far away, but loud enough for him to hear. It was as if someone was wailing in agony. The echoing wail kept going on and on, with uncontrollable sobs coming every now and then.  
"What was that?!" Stan asked in surprise.  
"So you can hear it too?" Tyler said without taking his eyes off from the water.  
"Yeah, but where's it coming from?"  
"Where else?" Tyler answered, his head now cocked to the side.  
Stan peered over the fountain's edge and into the water. He couldn't see anything else except Tyler's and his own reflection. But the sound of the wails and sobs definitely came from there.  
"My guess is it's a woman crying about her lover," the boy explained. "She was greatly heartbroken when he left her because he only went out with her for her money. After the guy bankrupted her, he ran off with her cousin. So the woman tracked them down and murdered them both. However, she became so guilty for what she did, she tried to drown herself in this fountain, but failed. Ever since then, she would come over here and cried until she died right on this spot. Her soul is still trapped in here though."  
Stan looked up at Tyler curiously. "How do you know?"  
"Her sobs says everything," Tyler replied. "It's gonna take years before she could move on. There isn't much I could do here…yet."  
After a minute of silence passed, Tyler bended down and picked up the squeaky toy. "That can be dealt with later. So you still wanna play fetch?"  
"Yes! Finally!" Stan barked cheerfully as he wagged his tail.

9:04 pm  
Book? Check. Plush bunny? Check. The rosary cross? Check. Inner spiritual power ready? Check. All was safe in the bag.  
Tyler was all set to go. He took a deep breath before he set out to start his mission. This wasn't the first time he dealt with spirits and supernatural beings. It already happened back when he was only a little boy. Even his father was aware of his son's behavior and how he heard him talking to himself behind his closed bedroom door when it was already passed bedtime. Concerned for Tyler, his dad asked him about it.  
"They wouldn't leave me alone," young Tyler said.  
"Who wouldn't leave you alone?" Mr. James inquired.  
"It's the voices. They keep talking to me and won't let me go to sleep. And there were these weird things moving on the wall."  
"What did the voices say?" his father asked again.  
"They said a lot of things like 'Stay away or you'll suffer,' and 'Liar! Liar!' and a bunch of other stuff I don't know."  
The little boy looked up at his father with innocent eyes. "Will you make them go away, Dad? Please?"  
Mr. James's face went slightly pale. It was just as he feared, and has already started. His son won't live his childhood as normally as he had hoped. As the father recalled from his grandmother's words, "You need to be careful around your son. He might inherit this ability from me, and it will not be easy for him to live as a normal child."  
Mr. James was given a small jar filled with white balm.  
"Put this ointment on his forehead every night on his birthday when he's asleep. It will reduce his sight and hearing of spirits, but it can only work until Tyler turns 17 years old. That was the same age when my ability started to grow. From then on, there is absolutely nothing we can do. Please always be there for him, Bennett."  
That was why Tyler's dad became a psychologist; to try to understand what his son was thinking and help him stay clear of the darkness.

Tyler was now approaching his 17th birthday. The ointment's spell began to wear off its effects. He could see things he haven't seen or heard since he was younger. Voices and shadows came back to haunt him again, even darker than before. He wasn't exactly scared though. It was more of nostalgia of his childhood to him.  
It was a calm Friday night, so he knew his parents wouldn't mind letting him go out a little late. He quietly went down the stairs, and headed for the door. Just when he turned the doorknob he called over his shoulder, "Mom! Dad! I'm going out! I'll be back in an hour!"


	2. Phase 2

Yes, it seems that I have lost inspiration to continue this story so it will be on hiatus. My interests tend to shift from one thing to another. :P

Sorry! If anyone wants to continue this story then go ahead.

* * *

Stan snapped open his eyes and realized he was lying on his side on the sidewalk. It was nighttime outside with only one street lamp lighting dimly several feet across from him. His front and hind legs were bound tightly together with a jump rope, while his mouth was clamped shut with a muzzle. When he finally regained conscious, he realized what just happened and began to panic. _What's going on? Why am I outside? And why are my legs tied together?! And…and…wait…why am I wearing a muzzle?! Did somebody kidnap me?! _

Suddenly, Stan heard footsteps coming from behind him. As the steps came closer to him, a familiar scent was wafting through his nose. It grew stronger and stronger until Stan remembered who that smell belonged to.  
"Tyler…? Is that you…?" he timidly called out.  
The footsteps stopped. Silence hung in the air for a while before a voice, which Stan knew very well, replied, "I'm sorry Stan. I'm really sorry. I don't want to do this, but I have no other choice."  
Out of the corner of Stan's eye, he saw a fist swiftly coming toward his throat. And much to his dismay…it was holding a sharp kitchen knife. However, the tip of the knife stopped just centimeters away from his fur. Hesitantly, Stan strained his neck to turn and see who was going to kill him. Just as he laid his eyes upon his kidnapper, his gut churned violently out of fear.  
His instincts were right. It was Tyler.  
Shadows were crossing over the boy's face, his eyes and expression was blank. Strands of hair went limp over his forehead covering his right eye. He kept gazing at the dog as he brought the knife up once more.  
"Tyler? Why?! Why are you doing this?!" Stan wanted to know. But his yells only came out muffled.  
"You know too much…" his master whispered. "I have to end you before you can tell anyone. I know my family will never forgive me for this, especially Avery. She'll hate me forever."  
The knife held in midair, ready to strike at any second. "But I still need to do this."  
"Tyler! NO! DON'T DO THIS! DON'T! STOP IT!" The dog screamed, but his mouth was still restrained by the muzzle.  
"I'm sorry Stan…"  
"NO-" Before Stan could react, the blade plunged right into his throat.

.

3:18 am  
The dog woke up with a loud bark. Seconds later, Avery ran downstairs to the living room.  
"Stan? What's wrong?" Avery asked worriedly, kneeling down beside him. "You've practically been barking all night!"  
"Oh Avery, it was horrible!" Stan cried. "I just had the worst nightmare ever!"  
"What's going on here?" Avery's mom demanded as she flicked the light switch at the doorway. "And why was that dog barking? Your father and I couldn't sleep at all!"  
"Stan just had a nightmare," the blonde girl said.  
The dog laid his head against her lap and whimpered sadly. Shortly after, Avery's stepdad appeared beside her mom, wearing his light blue pajamas, gray slippers, and messy bed hair. "Huh. So even animals can get bad dreams," he muttered.  
Chloe also went out of her bedroom to see what was going on. She quietly watched her family while staying upstairs, clutching her stuffed unicorn close to her.  
"Mom? Dad? Is it okay if Stan sleeps in my bedroom?" Avery asked. "Just for tonight?"  
Mrs. Jennings hesitated. "Um…..okay, fine. But if he starts barking again, he's gonna have to sleep outside."  
Throughout the rest of the dark morning, Stan never made a noise. He never slept that time either; for he was afraid to repeat the same encounter of that terrifying dream. For all he knew, he was never going to see Tyler the same way again. At least for a while.

8:15 am  
It was completely uneasy for Stan later that morning. When he first saw Tyler, he flinched and let out a yelp. Tyler jumped a little at his dog's reaction.  
"Stan? What's wrong?" the teen asked.  
"Uh…uh… it's n-nothing, sorry," Stan stammered. Then he scurried away.  
Stan recalled last night when he told Avery about that horrible dream. The girl furrowed her eyebrows as she stared at her dog thoughtfully. Then she assured him, "Oh, Stan. Don't worry about that. It was just a nightmare. Tyler would never do that kind of stuff. Nothing bad will ever happen to you, okay?"  
She ended the conversation while scratching behind Stan's ear.  
_But it felt so real, Stan thought, I've never been that scared my whole life._  
A few minutes later, Mrs. Jennings was about to go out the door after she told her husband, "I'll be going over to my friend's workplace to help her with sorting the files. It won't take long."  
Tyler turned to his stepmother. "Mom…?"  
"Yes Tyler?" she asked.  
"Umm…I…I don't think…you should go today."  
"Why's that?"  
"Because…,"Tyler hesitated. "I don't know why, but something bad will happen over there if you go."  
Mrs. Jennings looked at her stepson, confused at what he said. "How do you know?"  
"Uh…I just do," he replied with a shrug.  
"Well I would rather stay home, but I promised my friend I'll help her with something," she said. "Besides, it's just a small errand. I doubt anything bad is gonna happen."  
Tyler was about say something else until Mrs. Jennings stepped out of the house and closed the doorway. He remained silent. Worry reflected on his face when he heard the car's engine turned on.  
His dad glanced at him curiously. "Are you sure something is going to happen where she's heading?"  
Tyler turned his eyes to him. "I think so, but I don't expect her to believe me. Not now, anyway."  
The teen paused for a moment. "Do you believe me, Dad?"  
Mr. James pursed his lips in deep thought. "I don't know, son. We'll see."

7:47 pm  
The door flung open with Mrs. Jennings rushing in. Her face was pale stricken with horror.  
"Oh my God, Bennett! You'd never believe what happened at work today!" she said, her voice filled with panic.  
"What's wrong honey?" her husband asked.  
"I was helping out at the workplace, when somebody got shot! There was a man right next to me and a bullet shot straight at his head!" Her voice went higher as she continued. "I was _this close_ to get killed, Bennett! I can totally feel it shooting straight past the side of my face, inches away! It went right through the window and it completely shattered! If I were to take another step, I'd be dead already! My friend was right beside me, but she took the worst. A big shard of glass flew out and cut her side of the face, and she was bleeding to death! It was chaos everywhere!"  
"And get this!" Mrs. Jennings went on, "the man who just got shot was actually an undercover con-man who escaped from jail 6 years ago! Right now, the police are looking for the person responsible for killing him."  
Her breathing finally calmed down. She sighed as she pressed her fingers onto her temples. Mr. James wrapped his arms around her and gave her a comforting hug. "At least you're okay and still alive, honey. What about your friend?"  
"She'll be fine. The hospital bandaged her injury, so she's gonna be all right."  
The parents later told their kids what happened at dinner.  
"Tyler, how exactly did you know this was going to happen?" Mrs. Jennings inquired.  
"I told you, Mom. I just knew," Tyler answered. "I woke up this morning, and suddenly, I just knew."  
"So you're a sidekick?" Chloe asked in wonder.  
"I think you mean psychic, sweetie," her dad corrected. "And yes, he probably is."  
Stan eavesdropped at their conversation as he was chewing his food. _A psychic, huh? That's pretty cool. I wonder if he could tell what's going to happen to me?_

11:21 pm  
The dark haired teenager was lying on his bed, hands resting on his stomach, and eyes staring straight at the ceiling. His room was dark and deeply silent, except for his own calm breathing. Soon, he could hear tiny creaks inside the walls, which later gave way to much louder creaks. Then he could hear soft thumping on the floor. Before long, that sound was followed by the windows shivering, making a small rattling noise.  
Out of nowhere, another sound of a clock ticking joined in the cacophony. Then Tyler closed his eyes, and focus on the pounding of his heartbeat, which also added to the noise around him. It kept going on; every sound was offbeat away from each other. It seemed like a whole hour had crawled by until finally….it stopped.  
Tyler opened his eyes.  
Out of the corner of his left vision, he could see a slim shadow moving slowly, up and down the wall.  
"Long time no see," Tyler quietly whispered, without emotion. "Are you going to keep me awake again? Just like the time I was kid?"  
The shadow can only uttered, "_Shhhh…_"  
A short silence fell.  
"You nearly killed my stepmom, y'know," Tyler confronted.  
"_Shhhh….shhhh…shhh…_," the shadow replied.  
The closer Tyler listened, the more words he was able interpret:

"_I didn't mean to….shhhh….I just found that bullet from a dead body….shhh… I played with it….for a while…..shhh….it was so shiny and already covered in blood….shhh…..I got bored with it….shhh…. flicked it away with my finger….shhh…..I didn't think I would kill anybody…._"

"…..But that's what you're supposed to do anyway, right?" Tyler pointed out. "Taking away a mortal's life?"  
"_Shhhh…._," the shadow echoed.  
"I thought so."

"_Shhh….don't you get too comfortable either….shhh…..when the time comes…shhh…you could be next….shhh….you could even die the next morning….._"

The boy closed his eyes again. "You wouldn't."

"_Shhh….of course not…my kind would tear me to pieces if I do…shhhhh….you are the source of our power….._"

Another short silence fell again.

"_There is something I want you to take care of….shhhhh…..there's a ghost that kept pestering us…... disturbing our work….shhh….do you think you could take care of it?..._"

"How powerful is this ghost?" Tyler asked.

"_Easy enough for you to handle…shhh…...if you can get rid of it….we can let you live a little longer…shhhh….just do it by the next dark moon…_"

"…I'll see what I can do," he said.

"_Good….shhh…..I'll leave you for now…..be a good boy…shhhh…and do what we tell you._"

The shadow on the wall slowly vanished until Tyler couldn't feel its presence anymore. He glanced at his side to make sure it's gone, then let out a sigh of relief. His muscles started to relax for the first time that night. His mind finally drifted off into sleep….  
….until Stan's barking snapped him out of it.  
Tyler groaned. _Awww jeez….please not now…._


End file.
